The price tag for a stimulus deal could be close to $ 900 billion, a well-known source tells CNN, although more details may be revealed later Wednesday.
The deal is expected to include another round of stimulus checks, but no money for state and local aid, a priority the Democrats had pushed for, and no lawsuits the Republicans wanted, according to a source briefed on the talks. The source warned that nothing is final until revealed, but that’s where this is headed right now. Another person familiar with the talks told CNN that negotiators are negotiating a deal that includes improved unemployment insurance.
SEE ALSO: White House Offer Adds $ 600 Checks to COVID-19 Relief
Even as talks move in a positive direction toward a deal, Congressional leaders are still swapping offers and going back and forth this morning as they try to finalize a proposal and have it run through Congress within days, several said. sources to CNN.
That means it’s still highly uncertain when Congress will vote – and whether they will be able to link the roughly $ 900 billion contingency plan to a massive $ 1.4 trillion spending bill that Congress is trying to pass against. the time when the government ran out of money on Friday evening. . Whether Congress still needs to take an emergency measure to keep agencies afloat remains to be seen.
Congress leaders weigh in
The staff of the top four leaders – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy – are expected to speak by phone on Wednesday.
McConnell said in a speech Wednesday morning that Hill leaders have “made great strides toward pushing out a targeted pandemic relief package that could pass both chambers by a two-part majority,” saying, “we have agreed that we will see the city. won’t leave until we’ve made law. “
McConnell did not reveal details of what will be in the deal, but did give a sneak peek at what is likely to be in it, saying, “We need money to distribute vaccines. To keep taking care of fired Americans.”
During a conference call with House Democrats this morning, Pelosi indicated the deal is not yet final, but gave the overall outline of the proposal. There was not much criticism of the call, and sources describe the atmosphere during the call as positive.
Pelosi blamed GOP’s insistence on lawsuits for businesses and others as a reason why state and local aid was not included in the proposal. She pointed to other areas of the emerging proposal – school funding, vaccine distribution, and transportation projects – where states and places would get money. She claimed that the Democrats will again push for state and local aid when Joe Biden takes over the presidency.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune told reporters he thinks $ 600- $ 700 is being discussed for stimulus checks and “double that for family and children.”
Thune, a South Dakota Republican, added that he thinks there will be $ 300 a week in unemployment benefits.
“I feel more optimistic, I think a lot of progress has been made,” he said, adding “I hope we will meet the deadline.”
Once the details are formally revealed, Hill leaders will have to sell the plan to their caucuses and try to quickly ram it through Congress – all with the threat of a shutdown by the week’s end.
It will not be an easy task. But top Democrats and Republicans expressed confidence on Tuesday evening after the four great leaders met for the first time in months and came forward to say a deal is finally in sight. But they refused to share details.
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How the legislative process could go
Once it is finalized, the leadership of both parties must notify the constituency to sell them on the deal and then proceed to a vote in both chambers as soon as possible.
Negotiators are against the clock for a Friday at midnight when government funding ends, and aside from major last-minute snags, lawmakers could be heading for a House vote on Thursday, followed by a Senate vote on Friday. They would require the unanimous consent of all 100 senators to schedule a vote, meaning that if a senator objects, there could be at least a temporary shutdown of the government over the weekend.
Negotiators are likely to introduce a $ 1.4 trillion government funding package later Wednesday. When the House Rules Committee then meets to organize a vote in the House, an amendment will be offered to address the Covid relief deal before the full package is sent to the floor.
Once a vote is taken in the House, there is little time left on the calendar before a potential closure is triggered.
With such a small margin of error, prepare for regular members to try and influence the process in an effort to win concessions. Ultimately, leadership can stop such efforts, but that doesn’t stop lawmakers from trying.
Take, for example, a tweet from the prominent progressive Democratic Rep. New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday night, calling for stimulus checks. Other progressives echo that feeling – just like Sens. Bernie Sanders and GOP Sen. Josh Hawley.
If a quick vote in the Senate is blocked, there could be a brief government shutdown over the weekend. And if lawmakers fail to finalize a massive government spending bill for another fiscal year in the short term, there is also a chance they will instead be forced to revert to a short-term funding patch, although lawmakers from both parties have made it clear that they don’t want that to happen.
What else is likely in the deal?
That’s not clear yet as there’s yet to be a deal released and details are sparse on what might be inside. But all signs point to the likely announcement of a plan that will include provisions with widespread bipartisan support, including an expansion of unemployment benefits, loans for hard-hit small businesses and money for vaccine distribution. Lawmakers can also extend the federal deportation moratorium and delay student loan payments.
While Hill leaders wouldn’t confirm what they agreed, both sides have likely made some significant concessions, including potentially dropping money requirements for state and city governments – a priority the Democrats are pushing for – and a liability shield that the GOP had wanted.
A $ 748 billion bipartisan proposal released this week could serve as a ready starting point for what could be absorbed.
That package proposes:
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